The Stand In
by Dearing
Summary: It started with an unfortuneate run-in in the Da Danaan's Hanger early that morning. The day's events seemed to follow a similair pattern from that point onward. An AU based on Tessa's OVA. Tessa/OC
1. The Event

In all honesty, this fic originally came around when I decided I wanted to try and create a more normal Original Character then my previous attempts.

You see, while writing fanfiction is one of my favourite pastimes, I really want to write some original stuff. Something with mechs and saving the world or something like that. I'm not aiming for something that would be turned into a movie or anything like that, just something that was mine and could be brought off a shelf. My problem is though I find it a lot easier to write about character's already created then creating my own. Whenever I try to create new characters, more often then not they tend to quickly become mary/gary stus, which usually ends with me abandoning the fic altogether (E.G. my unpublished Project A.V.A.T.A.R. or the discontinued Legends of Arcadian Skies).

So, this was my attempt to try and break a habit of a lifetime. I decided to use the OVA as a basis because A. I've never written a Full Metal Panic fic before, and B. it gave me a chance to work with some character personalities I don't usually write about.

All in all, I think for the most part it came out alright. There's five chapters in total, and I'll upload one once a week. Any reviews would be a appreciated, although I ask you to kindly keep any flames to yourself. Constructive critisium is welcomed though.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fic for what it is, but please keep an open mind about canon, 'cause I've only seen the anime and I've only been using the OVA for reference.

Aside from that, Enjoy!

Dearing

* * *

**001**

**THE EVENT**

"Somewhere…beyond the sea, somewhere, waiting for me…"

Sousuke raised his head slightly as the sound of singing echoed through the corridors beyond the Tuatha De Danaan's hanger bay, one hand subconsciously going for the pistol on the table beside the laptop as he winced as several notes went off key due to lack of warm-up.

Rationally, the likelihood that a terrorist or assassin would be singing Bobby Darin songs while wandering the empty corridors of a ship in port were remote at best. That said, Mithril _had _dealt with villains with far more…disturbing pastimes in recent months. And with the voice getting ever closer, the Sergeant decided to stay on his guard, the pistol's barrel aimed at the small entry hatch as a shadow passed across it's bulkhead.

"…beyond the sea, she's there, waiting for…oh!" The intruder, a young male, jumped in surprise as he laid eyes on the soldier before him, "Sergeant Sagara, I'm sorry, I didn't realise there was anyone in here,"

Unease wrapped itself around Sousuke's mind as he took in the unfamiliar man before him.

He couldn't have been much older than himself, the uniform of a Mithril Corporal adorning his pale average sized frame, a laptop awkwardly tucked under his arm. More surprising was the fact this soldier didn't seem to be disturbed about the fact an apparent comrade was pointing a armed weapon in his direction, his coffee coloured eyes betraying his surprise at not being alone from beneath a fringe of dirty blond bangs.

"Have we met soldier?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you'd been told," the young man smiled as he snapped to attention, "Corporal Alexander Meriden, recently transferred to the command of First Lieutenant Belfangan Clouseau. I'm…erm…" he smiled embarrassedly, "You're replacement,"

"Replacement?" Sagara's eyes narrowed slightly, "I wasn't aware I was being replaced, or that anyone else could pilot the Arbalest…"

"Oh, you misunderstand me Sir," Meriden seemed horrified that he hadn't been clear, "I'm just here for low-level missions when you are otherwise unavailable or the ARX-7 is not required. I was brought on at the request of Captain Clouseau and Sergeant Major Mao so reliance on you is not as important and you can focus on…other assignments. Perhaps replacement was too strong a word," he smiled slightly, "I am a capable AS pilot sir, admittedly nowhere near your own skills, or even close to those of Sergeant Major Mao or Sergeant Weber, and like every other pilot who has tried, I very much doubt I would be able to even move the Arbalest, let alone fight with it. I suppose stand-in would be a better term; I am here when you are not, and on stand-by when you are. I believe a memo was sent to you last mouth on the subject…"

"Checking…confirmed," Al's voice echoed around the bay from the laptop, "Corporal Alexander Meriden, Call sign Uruz 12. A memo pertaining to his assignment was sent to your terminal Sergeant. You really should check your mail more often…"

"Shut up!" the last think Sousuke needed was a smart-alecky comment from his machine's A.I.. With a calming sigh, he slowly lowered his pistol, "I apologise Corporal. I wasn't expecting anyone else to be aboard,"

"In truth sir, neither was I," Meriden smiled sheepishly as he came over to the table, "I actually wanted to spend some time in the AS simulators before I started my shift, but the training area is closed. I was hoping to run some simulations instead. I though the ship would be quiet, seeing as we're in port, but if you would rather be left alone yourself…"

"No, it's alright," the Sergeant slowly rose from his chair, "Al, shut down for now. We'll continue at 1000 hours,"

"Roger,"

"I don't want to impose sir…"

"You're not," Sousuke smiled reassuringly as he packed up the laptop, "I'm on duty in half an hour anyway. Please do not allow yourself to be late for the sake of your simulations however,"

"Yes sir. Thank you sir," Alex smiled as he stood to attnetion once more as the soldier went by, only to glance back at the table in surprise, "Oh Sergeant! Your bag!"

"Hm?" Sagara ducked back through the door, his eyes widening as he took in the pair of ears sticking out of the plastic bag, "Damn! I was supposed to give that to Mao before I headed out…"

"If you need to get it to Sergeant Major Mao, I'd be happy to courier it for you," Meriden glanced uncertainty at his superior, "I was supposed to meet with her in two hours, if it's not urgent that it reach her of course,"

"No, it's not urgent," Sousuke frowned slightly. Not urgent to him maybe, but the Captain…no, she wouldn't mind, "Please deliver the item to Mao if your offer is still open,"

"It is,"

"Then I thank you," he saluted the Corporal, the gesture returned in swift succession, "Good day Corporal,"

"Have a good day yourself sir,"

(…)

Alex smiled slightly as he watched the Sergeant disappear down the corridor, before letting a grateful sigh escape his lips.

"Well, that was less awkward then I imagined it would be,"

He hummed his song under his breath as he set the laptop down on the now vacant table, booting up the small computer with one hand, his eyes darting with curiosity towards the fluffy ears and bowler hat before turning back to the screen before him.

"Dana, am I disturbing you?"

"Error in your question Corporal Meriden," the voice was feminine, yet held a distinctly sharp tone, "I am programmed to be at the disposal of all crewmembers of the Tuatha De Danaan. By this classification, I can not be disturbed, because I am designed to help you at any time,"

"Sorry," he grinned sheepishly, "I'm not quite used to talking to my laptop,"

"I understand Corporal Meriden. How may I help you?"

"I was wondering if you could help me run some simulations involving AS combat. Would that be a problem?"

"It would not be a problem. Sergeant Sagara was also recently running simulations with another A.I.. Would you like to run a similar scenario?"

"Isn't that A.I. a part of the Arbalest? I'm only supposed to be piloting a M9..."

"These simulations were designed for pilots of the M-9 Gernsback," if he didn't know any better, the soldier thought the A.I. sounded offended, "Currently we have no training simulations unique to the ARX-7 Arbalest,"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you,"

"I am an Artificial Intelligence, I can not be offended. Would you like to run a similar scenario to Sergeant Sagara's?

"Yes," he nodded understandingly, fully aware the dynamics of an A.I. would always be beyond his understanding, "Please do,"

"Very well, running Simulation H55," an overhead tactical display map appeared on his screen, "Scenario follows: Three enemy AS units are indicated in positions on the map provided. Do you believe an attack with a combat weapon or ATD would be effective?"

He stroked his chin slightly as he analysed the red and blue dots before him.

"Please try it,"

"Roger. Working on implications of actions," the Corporal drummed his fingers against the desk, his eyes calmly surveying the data as it spread across his screen, "Warning: new hostile detected,"

"Mr. Sagara?"

Alex turned his head towards the door at the sound of a new voice entered the cavernous area, his eyes widening as he took in the lithe form and youthful features of the young girl that tiredly rubbed the sleep from her eyes, the other hand clutching a large yellow blanket.

When he noticed she was wearing nothing but a shirt and underwear, he knew he had something to be concerned about.

"Madam?" he stood up uncertainty, not entirely sure of how this current situation would develop, "Can I…help you?"

"Mr. Sagara!"

"_Mr…Sagara?"_

With a few graceful steps, the grey haired girl seemed to almost bounce across the hanger bay, her open arms coming around his waist as she buried her pretty face into his chest, her hair falling about her shoulders as she latched on

"_This can't be good,"_

"Erm…Madam?" he braced his hands uncertainty on her shoulders, a voice screaming at the back of his mind that this strange woman should be familiar to him, "Are you…feeling alright?"

"I've never felt better," she sighed dreamily, "And what's with the Madam thing? What's the matter?" she giggled, "Captain got your tongue?"

"_Captain? Madam? Madam…Captain? Oh dear," _Memories of a 'welcome' speech by a certain Commander Richard Mardukas flashed through Alex's mind, accompanied by the picture from his future Captain Teletha Testarossa's basic profile he had seen before coming to the island at which his current posting was docked, _"No, this can't be good at all. Just keep calm, and deal with it like you deal with Cass's escapades back home,"_

"Madam Captain," he closed his eyes as he took a steadying breath, his willpower completely focused on getting his mind away from how warm his Commanding officer's body felt against his own, "Might I suggest you return to your quarters? It appears you might be in…a precarious position,"

"Current position is not in your favour," Dana's sudden input didn't seem to help.

"Position?" he felt the captain frown as she turned her head slightly, "Back to my quarters?" she smiled slightly, "Oh Mr. Sagara…we shouldn't…"

"_Well…that didn't work,"_

"Hey, while we're talking about intimacy," the Corporal's eyes darted towards the entrance to the hanger, fully aware how his current situation would look should someone such as Sergeant Sagara come walking in, "It's okay with me if you call me…Tessa from now on,"

"_Tessa? Mr. Sagara?"_ Even as he attempted to keep himself calm, Alex's mind was a blur as he tried to connect the dots in his head, _"Is she pining for the Sergeant? She must still be half asleep if she thinks I look anything like him,"_

"It's kind of like it was all a nice dream and I _really_ don't want to wake up from it," she giggled again as she tightened her grip around his waist, the heat rising to the poor Corporal's cheeks as he felt her…body…press against his.

"A…dream?" Meriden considered it a miracle he managed to keep a calm voice, his rational mind quickly comparing his current situation to a familiar scenario involving his older sister, "Captain…is it possible you could wake up from this sleepwalking session?"

"Direct hit to the chest cavity,"

"Dana, now is not a good time,"

"Oh Mr. Sagara, you big meanie," Testarossa cast her sleepy eyes up towards his dark brown ones as she traced small circles across his shoulder, "Tell me what I have to do to get you to call me 'Tessa' one more time huh?"

"Situation is dangerous,"

"I'd do anything to hear you say that again,"

"_Is she even listening to a word I'm saying?"_ Despite the knowledge he was probably going to be in trouble by the end of this was fully on his mind, a part of Alex couldn't help but sympathises with his Captain. A sixteen year old girl surrounded by men ten, even twenty years her age? At seventeen, sergeant Sagara could probably have been repeatedly pummelled with an entire ugly tree and still be appealing to a young girl like her.

"_Why make someone so young a Captain anyway?"_ he tensed his fingers around her shoulders again, trying gently to pry her off before she woke up, _"Must be something to do with the classified information on her profile…Agh, what am I doing?! One problem at a time! Deal with the situation at hand, it's none of your business anyway if why she's in command,"_

"Well then Tes-Madam Captain," he caught himself before the name she had given him escaped his lips, "I really think you need to sit down for a moment and wake up…preferably in that order," he tried to gently remove her, but her grip held fast, "Captain…if this keeps up, I may have to call the medic…and I _really_ don't think our current positions would cast a favourable light on either of us…

"Enemy is displaying abnormalities,"

"Dana, I said not now!"

M…medic?" she frowned up at his flushed face, a small smile trying to crease it's way onto his features as he noticed a certain cuteness his Commander had while being half asleep.

She looked at the Arbalest on her right, then to the transport helicopters on her left, then back to his face, ever calmly waiting for the inevitable.

Then her eyes widened

And she screamed.

"What going on here!?" she leapt back several paces, her hands pulling the yellow sheet across her bare chest, "Who the hell are you!?!"

"Ma'am," in the face of her confusion, he knew from experience to remain calm, "I trust you are feeling better?"

"ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION!!!"

"Ma'am!" he snapped to attention, his eyes focused on a spot just above the top of her head, "Corporal Alexander Meriden, Call sign Uruz 12. I have been assigned as a stand-in for Sergeant Sagara when he is otherwise indisposed or the Arbalest is not required. I believe I was supposed to meet with you at 0900 hours tomorrow morning before we set out,"

"Corporal Meriden?" Recognition dawned in the Captain's eyes as they narrowed to slits, "Tell me Mr. Meriden, are you in the business of molesting your commanding officer before you've been properly introduced?"

"Enemy attack pattern is erratic,"

"With respect Ma'am, I am not in the business of molesting _anyone_ at _anytime_," he knew she was confused and probably scared to find herself in a strange room with a near stranger. Had their positions been switched, he doubted he would have been able to keep as calm, "And again with respect Ma'am, I believe you were sleepwalking and thus your actions were not entirely your own,"

"Are you…are you saying this is _my_ fault?" her eyes widened in disbelief, "That _I_ was harassing _you_?"

"I'm sure if you were to consult the security camera, I'm sure…"

"Say for a minute I believe you," she scowled darkly as she folded her arms across her chest, "Why the hell are you so calm? Don't you find it odd that a young girl just jumps into your arms with no rhyme or reason?"

"Again, with respect Ma'am, I have three older and two younger sisters," he knew he was walking a dangerous path, but he kept his eyes at the point above her head, his voice ever calm, "the third oldest of which tends to sleep walk and is…clingy…in the process. You're symptoms are similar…" he glanced down at Captain as the sheet slipped, "Although admittedly, she preferred to where pyjamas,"

"Huh? What do you…?" she looked down at herself, only to cover herself up in alarm as she shot him another hatful glare, "So now you were trying to undress me too!? How the heck did you get me down here in the first place? Did you spike my drinks!?"  
"No, I…"

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR LIES CORPORAL!!!" his teeth snapped shut with a click at her outburst, "I want you to report yourself to the brig immediately for the crime of sexually assaulting a superior officer, don't try to run understand!?"

"Ma'am!" he snapped off a salute as she stormed out of the hanger, "Crystal clear Madam Captain!"

"AND I'M NOT YOUR CAPTAIN YOU PERVERT!!! NOT AFTER TODAY!!!"

His hand faulted as the door slammed shut, the limb falling limply at his side as his sighed bitterly.

"Oh boy," he ran a hand through his hair, "I make one good impression with the guy I'm standing in for, only to make a bad impression with a person I need to remain civil with. What am I going to do?"

"Enemy in retreat. Advise against pursuit. Suggest seeking out reinforcements,"

Meriden smiled slightly as he returned to the desk.

"That's not such a bad idea,"


	2. Takes Two To Tango

**002**

**TAKES TWO TO TANGO**

"So let me get this straight," Melissa Mao glanced up from her computer screen to cock an eyebrow at the fuming Tessa that paced angrily before her, "You're telling me that some random soldier spiked your drink, led you out of your room back to the Danaan, and proceeded to harass you in all kinds of ways in the Launch Bay?"

"Yes!" the response came out as a hiss, the Captain clearly not wanting to be overheard, "Only he isn't some random soldier from the base, it's Corporal Alexander Meriden, that pilot who was assigned to us yesterday,"

"Meriden? Oh DAMMIT!" Tessa jumped as the Sergeant Major slapped a palm to her forehead, "I was supposed to meet him off the plane yesterday, make sure Mardukas didn't scare him back to the States. Gee, I hope the old man didn't chew him out _too_ badly…"

"In my opinion, he didn't chew him out hard enough," the Captain scowled as she slumped onto the crate beside her friend, "I was practically half naked by the time I woke up! Then he said something weird about his sisters…"

"Well he does have a big family," Mao smiled as she brought up a personnel profile on her computer, "Corporal Alex Meriden. Eighteen last July. Just got promoted last month," her eyebrows rose slightly as the data scrolled before her eyes, "Seems Mithril's in his blood; both his dad and three older brothers are all high up on our payroll. He's also got five sisters, three older, two younger…record's squeaky clean though. Slightly above average piloting skills, spends at least a hour a day in simulators, specialises in pistols and general melee combat…came recommended from the North Atlantic Ocean Unit," she smiled as she took in his profile's image, "All thing's considered, I've seen worse potential stalkers,"

"Melissa!" Tessa stared at her friend in disbelief, "This man tried to sexually harass me, and you think he looks cute?!"

"Hey, I didn't say that!" she grinned guiltily as she closed the profile down and resumed her work, "I just said I've seen worse potential stalkers. You know; dirty old men, sex staved geeks, that sort of thing. Besides, his record's clean, why taint it now?"

"Maybe he's just gotten away with it up 'til now," The grey haired girl's eyes narrowed to slits as she folded her arms across her chest, her gaze falling on the AS M9s in the corner of the Hanger as technicians hooked a green sheet around one of their waists, "If he's got a dad and three brothers within the ranks, maybe they're just covering for him…"

"Somehow I doubt that. He's kept pretty far away from his relatives in the short time he's been with us. Besides, don't you think it's a _little_ unbelievable that a guy that's never even met you went to all this trouble just to try and get into your pants? And in the middle of the Danaan's Hanger Bay _while_ we're in port? I mean how'd you even get back to the ship in the first place? Weren't you supposed to be sharing a room with me on the base yesterday?"

"Yeah, but you probably don't remember what happened," Tessa sighed as she turned her gaze to the ceiling in thought, "When I came in exhausted, you were drunk…as usual…"

"Hey!"

"So I joined you…and went right to sleep afterward…" her eyes widened in realisation, "That's what he must've done! He must have drugged that drink and then snuck in…"

"Hey wait a minute, I was drinking from that six-pack too remember?" Mao shot an indignant look at the Captain, "And I don't remember waking up with some stranger in the middle of the Danaan's Launch Bay! Well…" she smirked slyly, "Not today anyway,"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear that," Tessa squirmed uncomfortably in her makeshift seat, "Besides, he doesn't exactly strike me as a strong guy. Maybe he could only carry one of us at a time,"

"Yeah well, there's a little flaw in your plan my little senile old lady!" the Major smirked at the Captain's scowl, "If Meriden _did_ sneak into our room to kidnap you for a night of unmentionable escapades, then he would of done it after I left. I ventured out of our room for a while after you came in, a little buzzed maybe, but definitely not drugged,"

"Maybe you could just hold it together better then I could," Tessa drummed her fingers against the side of the crate agitatedly, "Anyway, to make matters worse, when I got back to our room I found that pervert stole my favourite stuffed animal too! It wasn't anywhere to be found in our room,"

"You mean that Bonta-kun thing?" Mao frowned as her companion nodded, "Last I saw of it, you were hugging it to death after you got dead drunk and fell asleep. That must've been just after I left,"

"Hold on a minute," Tessa's eyes darted to the Sergeant Major in alarm, "Did you say dead drunk?"

"Yeah, I gave you what I was having," Mao shrugged nonchalantly as she continued to type, "I think it was a whiskey sour by then…"

"YOU GAVE ME HARD LIQUOR!?!"

She winced as the Captain rose to her feet like a shot, her eyes wide with fury, her features betraying an obvious mixture of fear and anger that was flowing through her mind.

"Heh, come on, it's no big deal…"

"TOO MUCH OF IT DESTROYS YOUR BRAIN CELLS SERGEANT MAJOR!!!" Tessa's fists were shaking with anger as she towered over the seated Mao, "OVER TIME IT WILL CATCH UP TO YOU!!!" She slumped back down onto the crate, a picture of horror passing across her face as she ran a hand across her pert features, "I thought it was something light…If it was something powerful like whiskey…Oh God…I might've made a terrible mistake! What've I done!? What must Mr. Meriden think of me!? I shouted at him, I called him a pervert, I even threatened him with time in the brig for sexual assault! What am I going to do?"

"Personally, I'm just glad you came to me first rather then Mardukas," Mao grinned gingerly, "Don't think that guy's joking when he said he was going to stuff Sousuke into a torpedo tube with a three hundred kilogram explosive if he even touched you, hate to think what he'd to a kid that supposedly tried to jump your bones by your word alone…I'M DONE! GIMMIE ROOM!!!"

"What am I going to do?" Tessa cradled her head in her hands, "He must think I'm some kind of monster…"

"Just go and talk to him, I'm sure he'll understand," Mao smirked, "And if he doesn't…file the charges anyway. Might be fun to see him go up like a firework on the fourth of July!"

"That's not very helpful Melissa,"

"Relax. Why don't you stick around for this little display? I think you'll enjoy it! Remember that report I gave you on my research into running a M9 without a pilot? Remember the part about advanced movements?"

"Yeah," the Captain sighed as she sat up, "But to be honest, I'm still not exactly sure what you mean by 'advanced movements',"

"Well, prepared to be confused no longer!"

With a press of a button, the M9s slowly rose to a standing position, the pair moving to the centre of a circle traced in chalk on the ground, standing face to face.

"Um…Melissa?" Tessa frowned as she noted the blanket of greenery around one of the machine's waists, "Why is one of them wearing a skirt?"

"Why else?" the Sergeant Major gave her a Cheshire Cat grin, "To set the mood!"

She only had to wait for the music to play before all became clear.

With a clank of metal against metal, the two Arm Slaves grasped hands and pulled themselves together into what was undoubtedly a…"

"Tango?" her voice was deadpan.

"Yep!" her friend grinned triumphantly as the two machines proceeded to prance up and down the circle as the nearby engineers clapped and catcalled over the music, "Does this kick ass or what!?"

"Excuse me," she kept her face neutral as she drummed her fingers against the crate, "but I'd really appreciate it if you didn't play around with equipment that's _this_ expensive. I mean you _are_ the Fleet Commander and…Are you even listening to me?"

"Here it comes!" the Sergeant Major stood up in anticipation, just in time for the skirted machine to drop into the other's arms, "And…the…DIP!!!"

"No…No it's clear your not…"

"I think we've got a winner here for the talent show boys…!!!"

Suddenly, there was a sound of scraping metal.

A brief silence…

Then an eruption of steam and mortar as the skirted AS flew out of it's companion's grasp and into a nearby wall.

"Aw crap!" Melissa sighed with a pained expression as she slumped down onto the crate, the engineers quickly running over to the downed machine as alarm bells rang, "Another failure,"

"Don't feel so down Melissa," The Sergeant Major glanced forlornly at her friend as she patted her on the shoulder, "Just cheer up okay?"

"Oh Tessa…"

"Because I'm taking this out of your salary…"

"WHAT!?!"

"_And_ I want letters of apology from everyone okay? As well as a damage assessment by tomorr…"

Her eyes suddenly darted to the nearby doorway, her eyes widening in horror as a familiar dirty blond haired Corporal stepped through the door, a large full plastic bag clutched in one hand.

"Oh no!"

"Tessa?" Mao blinked in confusion as the Captain suddenly jumped behind the crate, keep her back flat to the concrete floor, "Hey, what do you think you're…"

"Excuse me? Sergeant Major Mao?"

"Oh, what now!?" Melissa turned with a groan towards the young man that stood before her, her eyes widening as she recognised the face that stared down at her in bemusement, "Oh! It's you!"

"Corporal Alexander Meriden Ma'am," Alex stood to attention with a smile, "I'm sorry to bother you Ma'am," he glanced over at the crashed AS with bemusement, "Is this…a bad time?"

"Yes, but I need a distraction," Mao smiled as she glanced behind the crate where Tessa lay, a small pang of satisfaction hitting the Sergeant Major as she noticed the Captain sweating buckets, "At ease. What can I do for you Meriden?"

"I was wondering if you could help me with a…problem…I'm having concerning Captain Testarossa. We had an…unfortunate misunderstanding this morning,"

"An unfortunate misunderstanding?" Mao smiled innocently as she watched Tessa turn several shades of red out of the corner of her eye, "Imagine that. Care to shed some more light on the subject?"

Her smile became a full fledged grin as she noticed the frantic hand-waving of the Captain, unseen by the Corporal.

"I'd rather not aloud, with respect to the Captain," Alex himself felt his cheeks heat up, "Suffice to say a series of unfortunate events caused a misunderstanding in the Tuatha De Danaan's hanger bay this morning. Fortunately, the Hanger's security cameras filmed the whole thing," he pulled a small disk out of the bag, "It took a little persuasion, but I managed to get Dana to give me a copy of the events that occurred. I've heard that you are friends with the Captain, I would appreciate it if you would give this to her. I don't believe she would listen to a word I say after…what happened,"

"I see," Tessa clutched her hands to her heart while her body curled up into a ball as Mao took the disk, "Don't worry, I'll get it to her ASAP. What's in the bag?"

"Hm? Oh yes," the Corporal held the bag towards her, "I was told to give this to you by Sergeant Sagara,"

"Hmm," Melissa frowned at the contents of the bag, "Nope it's not mine. Sure he said Mao? We got a Sergeant Major Zhao around the base. But of muscle-head though…"

"I'm certain he said Mao Ma'am…"

"Well, you got me. Just give it in to Lost and Found, I'm sure someone will pick it up,"

"Yes Ma'am, right away," Meriden glanced towards the M9 again, "Do you want to reschedule our meeting Ma'am?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, I think that'd be best," Mao sighed, "How about tomorrow, say 1200 hours?"

"Roger that. I'll be there,"

"Yeah yeah," Melissa simply sighed again with a tired nod, "Dismissed Corporal,"

"Yes Ma'am!" she couldn't help but smirk as his boots almost clacked together as he snapped to attention once more, "Have a good day Ma'am,"

"_Yeah right,"_ The Sergeant Major chuckled to herself as she watched Alex disappear back to the corridor from whence he'd come, before turning her eyes to the mess at the end of the Hanger, _"Looks like a lot less booze in my future. Oh well,"_ She turned to face her hidden Captain as she slid the disk into her computer, "He's gone you know. What to see what he left you?"

"Not really," Tessa rose miserably from her hiding place as the Tuatha De Danaan's hanger bay appeared on the screen, "He must have no respect for me after what happened…"

"I dunno, it looks kinda juicy,"

With curious eyes, the Captain turned miserably to look at the computer screen.

Before her lay the Hanger of the Danaan, black and white, the video soundless.

Seated before the Arbalest, she watched with heated cheeks as the Corporal stood up slowly from his chair, only to step back as her video tapped self bounded across the room, burying her face in his chest. She watched with more and more horror and embarrassment as Alex tried to pry her off, only for 'her' to squeeze tighter. She watched as 'she' suddenly leapt off him, appeared to shout and scream at him, then storm off, leaving poor Meriden bemused and alone, before the tape stopped.

"You know, if I didn't know better," Melissa shot her a sly glance, "I'd say you two had been together for a while…you know, right up to the point where you shouted at him and all…"  
"OH WHAT MUST HE THINK OF ME!?!" Tessa's head hit the crate with a thick clang, "It's all my fault! If anything _he_ should be filing charges against _me_!"

"Oh calm down!" Mao rolled her eyes to the ceiling, "He didn't seem angry you know. He just wanted to set the record straight that's all. Look, I just sent him down to Lost and Found, maybe if you run, you can catch up to him and apologise. While you're there, you can see if you're stuffed bear is there too,"

"Maybe your right," the Captain sighed as she slowly rose to her feet, "Guess I better get going. Thanks Melissa,"

"No problem, so does this mean I'm off the hook?"

"Not a chance!"


	3. Lost and Found

I'd just like to take a moment to thank dylanredefined for correcting me on when to and not to salute. Thanks a lot!

Hope you enjoy this latest chapter,

Dearing

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* * *

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**003**

**LOST AND FOUND**

"Corporal Meriden?" the Private at the Lost and Found desk frowned as he flicked through a ledger before him, "Nope sorry, no one's left anything under that name. I didn't even know we had a Corporal Meriden on Base…"

"Oh…I see," Tessa frowned at her shoes. He had left at least ten minutes after her. Had Meriden gotten lost? "Well, thank you for looking anyway. While I'm here, could you possibly tell me if anyone has brought in any items between last night and this morning?"

"Of course, it's no trouble at all Ma'am," the Private smiled, "So, what exactly is the item you're looking for?"

"Oh!" she felt her cheeks tinge pink as she smiled embarrassedly, "Well…You see…"

"Hey man, you got a minute?"

Pure relief pulsed through her veins at the sound of Kurz Weber's lax voice entered the room, the blond pilot lazily walking up to the counter with a large paper bag in hand.

"Hey!" he blinked in surprise as he noticed the young Captain, "What's up Tessa? You lose something? Lunchbox or gym clothes maybe?"

"Mr. Weber," she smiled embarrassedly, "No don't be silly, I wouldn't ever lose anything _that_ childish. But it _is_ kinda private you know?"

"Huh," Kurz blinked with mild surprise, but decided to let it go as he turned to the private at the desk, "So are you the Lost and Found guy around here?"

"Yes…" the Private smiled shakily, "But usually I'm the Ship's Arsenal Manager,"

"Okay. Here," he placed the bag on the counter, "I just found this lying around,"

"Are you just turning it in?"

"Yep,"

"What is it?" Tessa peered cautiously into the bag.

"Anime Ma'am," the Private glanced inside the bag, "Made in Japan,"

"Found it laying around the locker room," Weber sighed as he shoved his hands in his pockets, "I figured someone's looking for it, so go ahead and give it back to 'em,"

"Understood sir," the Private smiled as he reached for his ledger, "Now I just need you to sign this ledger for me and…"

"Love to help chief, but I'm kinda in a rush,"

"Huh?" the soldier looked on in dismay as the Sergeant lazily headed for the door, "But wait a minute sir,"

"Just go ahead and handle it for me okay?"

"But sir…" the Private winced as the door slammed shut, "Dammit! I can't accept lost items without a signature!"  
"Oh, it's okay," he glanced worriedly towards Tessa, "It's not like a bunch of silly cartoons have any tangible value,"

"Yeah…I guess you're right," the officer smiled, though he didn't seem convinced, "I just need to head out back for last night's ledger. Please wait here Ma'am, and I'll see if we can't find you're item,"

"Take your time," she smiled back as he headed towards the back of the room, "I'm in no hurry,"

The soldier nodded over his shoulder as he disappeared behind a shelf, leaving the Captain alone with her thoughts until the entrance door opened once more.

"Excuse me, I'm a afraid I'm a bit lost. Is this Lost and Found?"

Tessa felt her blood run cold at the sound of his familiar voice, her head barely turning towards the doorway as the one person she needed to see, and the last person she _wanted_ to see, walked up to the other soldier at the desk.

"Yes it is," the Private smiled as he rose from his chair, "How may I help you today Corporal?"

"I was given this item and asked to deliver it to Sergeant Major Mao, but she says it isn't hers," Alex placed the large plastic bag on the desk, "As such, I would like to follow her suggestion and turn it in as lost property,"

"Absolutely sir," the Private smiled again as he handed him his own ledger, "If you could just sign here please," the Corporal nodded as he quickly scribbled his name on the page, "Thank you. We'll be sure to do our best to get this item back to it's owner. Thank you for turning it in sir,"

"My pleasure," Meriden smiled as he stood up from leaning on the counter, "If you will excuse me…"

"Mr. Meriden,"

He froze mid-step through the doorway as her voice called out to him, his face turning neutral as he turned to face her.

"Captain Testarossa," his tone was formal and calm as he saluted his superior, and it hurt her after seeing him so friendly with the soldier at the desk (since departed to the shelves at the back of the room) mere moments beforehand, "How may I help you?"

"Come here Corporal,"

Her voice seemed to have a mind of it's own, it's tone sharp and dangerous as her brain worked frantically to try and think of what to say as he approached.

"_Just say you're sorry. Say you were wrong and he was right. Say you'll do him a favour or something…within reason of course!"_

Alex stopped short of her personal space, his coffee coloured eyes gazing down at her quietly.

"I trust you are feeling better Madam Captain? After this morning I mean?"

"_Just say you're sorry, Say you're sorry, Say you're…"_

"Corporal, I seem to remember ordering you to the brig not long ago. Why are you not there?"

"_What!?!"_

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. It was like she was a puppet to her own voice box, opening and closing her mouth to words that weren't hers.

"I believed it necessary to defy your order Ma'am," his voice was still infuriatingly calm, "If I reported myself to the Brig as your ordered, events of this morning would come to light, and would do nothing but cause embarrassment for both of us. I would not want you to blemish your own record due to a misinterpretation of events. If you will just visit Sergeant Major Mao…"

"_Yes, yes that's a perfectly logical reason. Just say that…"_

"Tell me Corporal," her voice became as cold as ice, "Should I add 'defiance of orders' to the list of charges I should file against you?"

"_What!?! No!!!" _

"Ma'am, with respect, you don't have all the answers available. If you will just go to the Sergeant Major…"

"So you won't even bring you're evidence before me?" the words were now coming forth like a torrent of water breaking through a dam, "Did you think it coming from Melissa would ease the tension? You coward!"

"_No! No! No!"_

She wanted to cry, she wanted to run, but her legs remained locked and her eyes remained dry. His only reaction to her hateful words was a steadying breath, but she knew she had struck a painful cord with words she wanted desperately to stop.

Only once before had something like this occurred; back in her office following Sousuke's removal as bodyguard to Kaname Chidori.

"If you have evidence to contradict my version of this morning's events, you should have come to me directly!" She knew she was only speaking a deeply buried truth now, just as before, "You should _not_ have disobeyed my orders _and_ gone behind my back because it would have made _your_ life easier! Further more…"

"Teletha Testarossa,"  
The flow was suddenly cut as her name, her full name without rank nor title sounding sharp and clipped off his lips.

"Teletha Testarossa," his gaze locked with her own, his voice returning to it's softer tones, "I have nothing but respect for you as an officer of Mithril and Captain of the Tuatha De Danaan. At such a young age, you have commanded that ship through situations most soldiers the same age would cower at. From you're profile and the way Commander Mardukas spoke to me yesterday, I can tell that you are also cared for and seen as a source of strength for all members of your crew. However, I am going to tell you this Madam Captain: You are wrong. And if I had gone to court on this, my evidence _proving_ that you are wrong would have at the very least tainted your career, if not caused the higher-ups to question your judgement. I will admit, I _did_ go to Sergeant Major Mao because I believed you would listen to her more then you would me, and I'm sorry if I have offended you in this manner. But again, with respect Ma'am, do you _honestly_ believe you would have listened to a word I said if you believed so strongly that you were right and I was wrong?"

"_No! You're right! I wouldn't have listened to a word you said! I'm sorry! I saw the footage! I know I was dead drunk the night before! Come on! Say something!!!"_

She stared up at him, her mouth agape, her throat dry.

"I…Um…"

"Corporal Meriden," a new voice suddenly entered the conversation, Alex's body freezing at the dangerous tone that seemed to come from his shoulder, "Are you giving our good Captain any trouble?"

"Lieutenant Clouseau!" before Tessa could blink, Meriden had spun around and taken several steps back, now directly behind the stunned Captain as he snapped to attention, "No Sir! I was not troubling Captain Testarossa at all Sir! I was merely stating how much I admired and respected her Sir!"

"I see," The Lieutenant blinked tiredly, clearly not in the mood for Alexander's near shouting, "Madam Captain, is this true?"

"Oh…yes," Tessa smiled shakily as control of her voice seemed to magically return to her brain, "I was just looking for something I lost, and I ran into Mr. Meriden…it was no trouble,"

"I see. At ease Corporal," Alex's posture relaxed with a sigh, "That's good to hear I guess,"

"So…" Tessa cocked her head to one side as she studied the officer before her, "Did you lose something too Mr. Clouseau? It looks like you've been loosing a lot of sleep if you ask me,"

"You are correct Ma'am," the tanned man sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "I have been at it a while. I've finally finished all my work though, and I intend to take it easy on myself today,"

"Well, that's good,"

"Yes…I had it all planned out to relax and enjoy some movies in the privacy of my room and noticed…" the larger man sighed, "Well…it looks like the DVDs aren't where I left them,"

"They were just gone?"

"Yes, I just got them in yesterday Captain," Clouseau hung his head low, "I was sure I left them in the locker room but they just…"

"I'm sorry Captain, but aside from the Sergeant's delivery this morning, I can't find…Oh!" the Private looked up from his ledger in surprise as he discovered a new person standing in the room, "Lieutenant, I'm sorry I didn't see you there. How may I help you?"

"Oh, Mr. Clouseau was just looking for some DVDs he'd lost," Tessa cheerfully answered before the Lieutenant could reply, "Fortunately, didn't someone bring in some DVDs just a moment ago?"

"Why yes Ma'am," the Private smiled as he indicated to the bag, "Lieutenant, are these the DVDs you're looking for?"

"Why…yes!" his face cracked into a small smile, before looking up seriously, "I mean yes, those are definitely my videos. Thanks a lot,"

"Well now, isn't that great Mr. Clouseau?" Tessa smiled cheerfully, unaware of the faint smirk that crossed the Corporal's face behind her, "Now you'll be able to relax right?"

"Erm…sure," he tried to smile at the young woman, only to look down almost fearfully at his DVDs, his eyes quickly darting between them, the Captain and the Corporal behind her.

From his place behind her, Alex watched with mild amusement as sweat started to bead across the Lieutenant's brow, a clear battle being waged within his brain as he kept looking between the his DVDs Tessa and Meriden.

Finally he seemed to make up his mind.

"Madam Captain,"

Tessa blinked at the authoritarian tone of his voice, "Yes?"

"Well…if I could impose on you…and this goes for you too Corporal…"

"Sir!" Alex snapped to attention once more, that same small smirk refusing to leave his face, "I'm all ears Sir!"

"A-at ease," the Lieutenant winced slightly at Alex's voice, "If the two of you…wouldn't mind…could you please…not tell anyone I watch these kind of movies?"

"Sir! My lips are sealed!"

"It's not any trouble at all," Tessa glanced back at Meriden with mild bemusement at the smirk that still refused to disappear, before turning back to Clouseau, "But…why?"

"I'm Uruz 1. I'm team leader of the special response team in other words,"

"Yes…but…"

"I know I can't really do much about Uruz 12, that is…Corporal Meriden, but at least for the rest of them, I have to set a good example Madam Captain," he said it with such sincerity Tessa found it hard not to believe he believed himself, "I can't allow them to think of me as a whimsical or light hearted kind of guy,"

"Sir…" Alex rose an eyebrow in question, the smirk finally disappearing, "What's wrong with being whimsical?"

"It would be bad for morale Corporal!" the Lieutenant leaned over the two stunned soldiers ominously, the Captain taking a step back in an attempt to get out from under his gaze, "And it's imperative that neither of you ever tell anyone! You see…watching these shows brightens my mood and lifts my spirits when I'm feeling down! I even read Newtype USA on a regular basis so I can check out the latest shows. I…I love that magazine…B-but still!" he looked off to one side, a clear excuse slowly forming in his head, "If any more of my subordinates were to find out…it would mean serious trouble!"

"But there's nothing wrong with that," Tessa shrugged indifferently, "It's just anime,"

"IT MUST REMAIN SECRET!!!"

The Captain squeaked at the Lieutenant's outburst, another few steps causing her to fall back against Alex's chest as his hands latched almost fearfully around her upper arms.

"I swear…this isn't about my personal reputation or anything," he was too close now, she could swear she could see every bead of sweat that was now pouring down Clouseau's face, "Please…do this for me so we can preserve the morale of the SRT as much as possible…"

"If it's really that big of an issue…" Tessa raised her eyebrows in a nonchalant way, "then why don't you just stop watching anime?"

His eyes widened in horror as he abruptly snapped to attention, his entire body shaking with fear as his fingers flexed fingers at his sides.

"If…if that is…y-your order C-Captain," his voice seemed to be failing him to the point it was almost comical to watch, "I-I-I will obey! But…Please…M-M-Madam Captain! I think…It's just…"

"Um…Lieutenant?" Alex smiled shakily as his superiors appeared to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown, "I…think she was joking,"

"R-Really?" Clouseau looked down at the pair almost hopefully.

"O-of course Lieutenant," Tessa grinned sheepishly, "We promise not to tell anyone about your hobby, and I'm sure Mr. Meriden will not let this information interfere with his work or affect his morale, right Corporal?"

"Yes, Madam Captain,"

Clouseau seemed to sigh with relief, a genuine smile crossing his lips.

"T-thank you very much Captain, and to you too Corporal Meriden, and you!" he suddenly turned his gaze on the Private standing nearby, the poor young man quickly standing to attention, "This all applies to you too you hear?"

"Crystal clear Sir!"

"Well then, if you will excuse me," With a nod and a salute, Clouseau picked up his back and headed for the door, clearly wanting to be out of the room as fast as possibly.

"Wow…Otaku really are everywhere aren't they?"

"Yes Ma'am,"

That's when she realised their precarious position; pressed up against Alex's chest, his hands' warmth seeping through the arms of her jacket and uniform.

"Corporal Meriden?" her voice was surprisingly calm.

"Yes Captain?"

"You can…let go now,"

"Oh!" he released his grip almost immediately, taking a good step back as she spun around to face, snapping to attention in the process, "My apologies Ma'am. Do you still wish for me to report myself to the Brig Madam Captain?"

Why? Why did he have to bring _that_ up? She could've just dismissed him and taken off or something. Now she had to reply, her brain terrified that her mouth would once more take a life of it's own.

"I…Um…"

Her mouth had suddenly gone dry, her teeth biting her lower lip as she tried to form a sentence.

She should just say sorry, she should just apologise and tell him she saw the video.

But would he even listen? Would he be smug and hold it over her head? What was worse, the Private was still standing at the desk, looking on in bewilderment, wondering what on earth was going on.

"I…Err…"

He was staring at her now, confusion laced within his dark brown orbs, no doubt wondering why she hadn't replied to his question.

"_Say something dammit!"_

"N-no Mr. Meriden. I-I-I think I'll just go see Melissa now. Good day!"

She took off through the door before he could even salute, her legs carried her as fast as they could, her arms feeling strongly cold without his grip.

* * *

"Okay…" Alex could only watch as his Captain tore out of the room at break neck speed, "What was that about?"

"If you want my opinion sir," the Private smiled wryly as he returned to his duties, "I think she likes you,"  
"Hm…" the Corporal frowned as he gazed out the open door where the Captain had been moments before, "What makes me doubt that? Oh well," he nodded to the Private before heading out the door, "At least I'm off the hook with the Brig thing…"

"Hey, Alex!"

The soldier blinked in surprise as he left the office, his eyes cast down the hallway as a blond sergeant walked idly towards him.

"Thought it was you," the Sergeant smirked, "You're Alex Meriden right? Sousuke's stand-in?"

"Yes sir," he smiled with a nod, "How may I help you?"

"Ah, loose the formalities pal," the blond smirked as he, swung the soldier around, slinging a arm over his shoulder, "The name's Kurz Weber, and dude, you and me have to have a little chat,"

"A little…chat?"

"Uh-huh," Kurz smiled slyly as he steered Alex down the passageway, "First off, I ain't gonna lie to you; I've seen the surveillance footage of…you know…what happened this morning,"

"Sergeant Major Mao showed you the tape?"

"More like Melissa called me down to help her out with the mess she created in Hanger 2, and she'd forgotten to close down the window. Don't worry, I closed it down after I had a look. Nice work by the way, don't think _I__'__d_ of been quite as calm if Tessa had started coming on to me like that,"

"It wasn't difficult to remain calm," Alex shifted uncomfortably, not liking where the conversation was heading, "It was clear she wasn't fully awake…"

"What did she do?" Weber's face suddenly held a picture of mock seriousness, "Not close enough for you?"

"She called me…Mr. Sagara…"

"Sousuke? Ouch," the sergeant winced with a smirk, "It's bad enough she was molesting you, but to feel you up _and_ pretend that your Sousuke?…Damn, that's gotta hurt your manhood…"

"As I said, it was clear she was sleepwalking," Meriden squirmed slightly, "Could we please move on to the point of this conversation?"

"Sure thing pal. Just thought I could give you some info on our little Captain. See the thing about Captain Tessa Testarossa…well…you've probably figured it out by now but…she's kinda got this…thing for Sousuke,"

"Thing?"

"Yeah, you know…Thing…attraction…likes him…wants him…aggressively pursues him…need I go on?"

…

"Isn't that potential fraternisation?"

Weber almost missed a step, but a sheepish grin suddenly plastered itself across his face.

"Ordinarily I guess so yeah…if we were an army or navy. The fact of the matter is, we're really a mercenary group, so our rules are a little more lax then others," he smirked wryly, "Although don't let Mardukas or the General Council hear you say that. As long as you keep it quiet, and it doesn't effect your working relationship, it's generally overlooked,"

"I see," Alex turned his gaze to the floor, watching his boots for several moments, "Is that why Captain Testarossa is so angry at me? Because she and Sergeant Sagara are…" he looked up at Weber again, "together?"

"Ah, that's the thing. They're not. She wants to be, and it really gets on Mardukas' nerves that she loves him, but Sousuke…well…" he grinned slightly, "It kinda taxes on his nerves. See Tessa's kinda…open with her feelings when it comes to our Sergeant Sagara, but the guy's a soldier first, and as a result she kinda stresses him out when she comes on to him. And then there's Kaname…"

"Kaname?"

"Yeah, you ever seen 'The Bodyguard?' Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston, '92 blockbuster? Good film. Anyway, a while ago, Sousuke was sent to protect this girl called Kaname Chidori and well…the two of them kinda…"

"Got together?"

"Well…kinda. He likes her, she likes him. Everyone sees it and no one really knows why,"

"Why?"

"She hits him. A lot. At least once a day. Usually with a fan. Or her fist. Or a bat,"

…

"That's just not healthy,"

"Yeah but he usually deserves it. Mostly because he's a overzealous soldier, which when combined with a high school setting usually creates…" he grinned evilly, "something better then reality TV! You should come out with some time, it's a riot! But I'm kinda drifting from the point here," he became somewhat solemn again, "See, like I said; Everyone who knows them sees the attraction at some level, even the two of them know they like each other, but they just can't bring it upon themselves to tell each other. And by everyone I also mean Tessa. Poor bastard made her cry when he got pulled off guard duty. She really cares for him, and while she probably knows she has no chance as long he has conflicted feelings about Kaname, she tries anyway, which is where _you_ come in,"

"Me?"

"See, the rest of us, we hate seeing Tessa like this, but we just don't have the heart to stop her chasing after Sousuke. Sure we get a laugh out of the way it freaks him out, and we're happy that Tess is happy when he's around, but the fact of the matter is, that little crying incident I mentioned earlier? A lot of us are worried she's gonna hurt herself if she keeps trying to catch him in her net as it were. And I'm not talking a bruised knee and boo boos here. Some time, probably sooner rather then later, either Sousuke or Kaname's gonna crack and it's gonna get real lovey-dovey between them…in a physically assaulting way most likely, but admittance of feelings all the same. And when that happens…we all think it's gonna break Tessa's heart,"

"So…what do you want me to do?"

"Distract her,"

"Excuse me?!"

"Look, me and Mao were talking about that little event that happened this morning…after she tried to knock me through a concrete floor for going through her computer…" Kurz rubbed the back of his head sorely with a sheepish grin, "And we both think you handled yourself pretty well. It's not like we're asking you to get her to fall for you or anything…or vice versa for that matter…it's just…when the time comes, we think there's gonna be a lot of hating on Tessa's part, particularly for those of us who know both of the potential love-birds. You know, betrayal and all that kinda stuff. But you…you're a stranger, and up 'til this moment, you didn't even know Kaname existed. We just want you to get a little closer to Tess, that's all. Talk to her, get to know her, that kinda thing. Because you don't know Kaname, we're kinda hoping she'll come running to you when she feels betrayed and all that, because otherwise, the only guy or girl she'll be able to run to will be old man Mardukas, and personally I don't think me or Mao could live with the guilt of one of that monster's speeches would do to her!"

"But Weber," Alex smiled sympathetically, "She hates me,"

"Nah, she's just upset because she exploded in your face for no real reason. Yes, she's seen the tape and no I don't know why she was still going on about it in the Lost and Found and yes I was listening at the door," he grinned again, "If anything it was more to hear about Clouseau's hobbies then anything else. Had to hide when he came round the corner though,"

The Sergeant suddenly brought their long walk to an end, coming around to Alex's front and placing his hands on the Corporal's shoulders.

"Listen, I know you're the new guy, and this whole mess is a bad way to start to a new posting, but it's like you said; Tess is a source of strength for all of us in one way or another. But if she loses her own strength just because her guy fell in love with the wrong girl…from her perspective…which way do think the ship's morale will go?"

Alex didn't reply, still not looking completely convinced. Kurz sighed.

"Look, you want a head start? Mao told me to tell you she remembered that bear thing you were told to give her is actually Tessa's favourite stuffed animal. Why don't you go and give it back to her? Good luck pal,"

"Hey wait a minute!" the soldier glared impatiently as Weber started to walk off, "Don't you think this is a bit low, getting the new guy to do the dirty work?"

"But of course!" Kurz smirked over his shoulder, "But look at it this way; it'll be a great way to patch things up with the Captain don't 'cha think?"


	4. A Helping Hand

**004**

**A HELPING HAND**

"Ugh…my stomach…"

Staggering out of Kalinin's quarters an hour after she'd entered, Tessa groaned as her stomach waged a war with her throat, trying desperately to push the Commander's borscht back the way it had come. Half an hour into lunch, she would've preferred to have walked in on Sousuke _completely_ naked then take another spoonful, but her manners prevented her from leaving until her bowl was clean.

A string of unladylike curses were then placed on whoever it was that first thought it polite to remain at the table until the meal was done.

But at least _some_ good had come from that disgusting encounter.

She had information….not _good_ information, but information regardless on her whereabouts last night.

As she had suspected, sometime between Melissa leaving and her…encounter with Mr. Meriden this morning, she had wandered out of her room, supposedly to supervise a test of the Base's early warning system. Then at around 0300 hours she had most likely run into…Mr. Mardukas. A shiver ran down her spine, one not caused by the storm that was raging within her stomach. It was bad enough she had ran into Corporal Meriden, but _that_ hypercritical loud-mouth as well?

She didn't need Alex's evidence to ruin her career after _that_ meeting.

But still more questions bounced around her head: How did she get to the ship? Why hadn't Mardukas woken her up if he'd found her traipsing around the base in her underwear? And more importantly: Where was her favourite stuffed animal!?

Another deadly protest from her stomach caused her to double over as she leant against the wall.

"Ugh…I think I'm going to die…" she swore she felt her cheeks go green as the borscht tried to return to the open air, "And now…I have to go to Mardukas' quarters…ugh…" another groan caused her to go weak at the knees, "But I really…don't wanna go…"

"Madam Captain? Madam Captain!"

A now oh-so familiar voice pierced the sickly aura that seemed to surround her, a wave of dread overtaking the nausea as she heard urgent footsteps running down the corridor, a pair of standard issue combat boots entering her field of vision as she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Captain Testarossa are you alright?" he was surprised at the note of concern in Alex's voice, the Captain slowly raising her head to gaze into the Corporal's worried eyes, "You don't look too good. Are you unwell?"

"To that, I have…one piece of advice…Mr. Meriden," Tessa smiled shakily as she clutched at her stomach, "_Never_…accept an invitation for lunch…with Mr. Kalinin…if _he _is the one cooking,"

Alex blinked in mild bewilderment, before relaxing into a small smile as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"For a moment, I thought it was something serious," he froze slightly, quickly processing his last sentence, "That is to say…you becoming ill _is_ a serious issue Ma'am…but I the way you were buckled over, I thought it might be something more severe, like flu or malaria,"

"_He was worried? That was sweet of him. No wait!" _she shook her head slightly, _"Of _course_ he'd be worried! I'm his Captain. Ugh…focus Tessa!"_

"Shall I escort you back to your quarters Ma'am?" the Corporal suddenly smirked slightly, "Or should I tell the medics to be standing by with a stomach pump?"

Tessa smiled slightly, before it suddenly became a frown.

"Mr. Meriden…shouldn't you be angry with me?"

"Angry Ma'am?"

"I've shouted at you. Called you names…called you a coward…" she shuddered slightly from the memory, "By all accounts, any other man would've…"

"Madam Captain," the softness of his voice quickly caused her mouth to abruptly shut with a click of her teeth, "I will admit, I'm…irritated…by your behaviour concerning our meeting this morning, but you are still my Captain, even if my tour of duty only started yesterday. And when you've got a dad and three older brothers already with an armed force, you tend to have a code of conduct beaten into you…" he frowned slightly, "So to speak. You are my Captain, and as such, unless I feel you're defying the orders of our superiors without good reason, I will serve you loyally for as long as I am under your command. This morning's incident was not a defiance against Mithril; it was merely, with respect, a misinterpretation of events. Therefore, by my family's code of conduct, I see no reason not to be concerned for your health,"

Professionalism. She could understand that.

"Thank you Mr. Meriden. I believe I'm feeling better now," another groan from her stomach told her otherwise, "Maybe not,"

The Corporal chuckled as he moved round to Tessa's side, a supporting arm coming round her shoulders.

"Come on. I'll take you back to your quarters; I think you need to go lie down. Take it from a guy who was forced to be my eldest sister's taste tester," he shuddered slightly, "Not pleasant,"

"You're very kind Mr. Meriden," she smiled slightly as he slowly began to walk her down the corridor, "But really…I don't have time to lie down…I have to go see Mr. Mar…"

"WOOHOO!!! OUTTA THE WAY!!!"

The pair had barely reached the intersection before almost being knocked down as Kurz came sliding round the corner, a large barrelled pistol in hand.

"Mr. Weber?"

"Oh! Hi Tessa! Hi Alex!" the sergeant grinned as he tore off down the corridor, "Nice to see the two of you made up! If you'll excuse me…"

Neither soldier had time to reply as Weber suddenly jumped into a nearby alcove behind a crate, Tessa worming her way out from under Meriden's arm out of curiosity for her friend's bizarre behaviour.

"Excuse me Mr. Weber?" she peered cautiously behind the crates as Alex joined her at her shoulder, her sickness all but forgotten, "What exactly are you…?"

"Shh!" the blond popped up from his hiding place, a finger to his lips, "Tell him I ran past you. I'm counting on you to save my butt!"

"Save his…" Meriden looked at his Captain with bewilderment as Weber ducked back down, "Butt? What from?"

They didn't have to wait long for an answer.

Charging around the corridor like an enraged bull seeing red, Lieutenant Belfangan Clouseau glared up and down the corridor with wide angry eyes, a sweeping brush held tight in his grasp.

"Mr. Clouseau?"

"Damn! Madam Captain! Corporal Meriden!" the tone of his voice caused the pair to flinch with fear, "Did that idiot Sergeant Weber go by here!?"

"He went that way," Alex pointed down the corridor behind him with a jerk of his thumb, Tessa far too stunned to even reply.

"Thanks a lot!" the officer tore down the passageway in a rage, "If you will excuse me I have to stuff this object down that scrawny runt's thr…"

"Mr. Clouseau!" the thought of violence within the base brought Tessa's voice back to her lips, the Lieutenant stopping in his tracks at the sound of her voice, "What happened with you two?"

"Well…you see…" Clouseau's shoulders shook from barely contained anger, his breath coming out in short pants, "It's about my DVDs Ma'am…I had just been watching them in my room…when…when…something appeared on the tape. Something that shouldn't have been there. A scene so horrible…so disgusting…"

"So…someone messed around with the video?"

"Yes…it was psychological warfare," the brush's head now rattled against the handle from the lieutenant's shaking hands, "My feelings have been shattered by this indignity. But…I've identified the vandal…and I will make him pay for the crime OF VIOLATING A MASTERPIECE!!! EXCUSE ME!!!"

The pair could only watch in bewilderment as he tore off back down the corridor, his brush held high.

"Okay…" Tessa blinked in bewilderment, "Well that was just…"

"Plain weird," Alex nodded in agreement.

The two glanced at each other in surprise as he finished her sentence, a small smile gracing their lips as Kurz leaped over the crates.

"Looks like we're finally even for that spat at the bar," the blond sniggered, "Nothing like serving up revenge when someone least expects it!"

"So what did you do?" Tessa glanced uncertainly at the Sergeant, half afraid of the potential mischief Weber may have invoked.

"I just modified his videos before I handed them over to Lost and Found," Kurz smirked devilishly, "I found the _perfect _scene to substitute for something a little more shocking!"

"That…seems a little mean Sergeant," Alex frowned slightly, "I mean he _is_ our superior officer, and those videos _are_ his personal belongings…"

"Hey, compared to what he did to me, I was being nice!" the blond scoffed, "He humiliated me, I tamper with his stuff…Even Steven right?"

"Wrong Mr. Weber," the two soldiers glanced down in surprise as their Captain spoke up, her face set and serious, "You've gone too far. Really, we all have something that's important to us Mr. Weber. You have to give him a _proper_ apology. And _that__'__s_ an order!"

"Erm…" the Sergeant swallowed thickly as he ran his gun wielding hand across his long hair, "I'm not so sure the Lieutenant would _accept _an apology…"

"WEBER!!! YOU LITTLE BASTARD!!!"

"Judging by the tone of the Lieutenant's voice," Alex winced as his superior charged around the end of the corridor, "You might be right there…" he turned quickly to the charging man, "Lieutenant Clouseau please calm down," he winced as Kurz fired a large dummy shot the large man's way, their senior officer expertly deflecting the rubber bullet with the staff of his sweeping broom, "This will only get us all in trouble if you continue like this Sir! Please calm down and…"

"Sergeant Kurz Weber…" the sheer anger and venom that dripped from Clouseau's voice was enough to stop the Corporal's words with a click of his teeth, the younger soldier immediately stepping back to his Captain's side, leaving the blond sergeant standing defiantly in front, "Your guilt runs even deeper than the sea! You've crossed the line dirt-bag, and now you're gonna pay!"

"Pay for what?" Kurz smirked rebelliously with hands on hips, Tessa and Alex forced to watch uneasily as he continued to rile his superior up even more, "And even if it _was_ me…what're you gonna do?"

"I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

"BRING IT!!!"

"Madam Captain, I really don't think this fight is such a good idea," the Corporal winced as the two men clashed, Kurz breaking away from the pistol/broom lock to fire a shot Clouseau's way, only for the older man to expertly dodge and send him crashing to the floor.

"Really, Mr. Meriden?" for all the fear for her friends' and comrades' welfare, Tessa couldn't help but let a note of sarcasm leak into her voice, "What on _earth_ gave _that_ away!?"

"HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF I MESSED WITH _YOUR_ STUFF!?"  
"I THINK YOU COULD BE A LITTLE MORE MATURE ABOUT THIS!!!"

"Stop this right now gentlemen!" Even Tessa was tiring of an admittedly almost childish fight, the young Captain wincing as Kurz's pistol came flying through the air to smack Alex square between the eyes before falling into his open right hand, "You two break it up or I'll…" she fumed quietly as the broom quickly followed, the corporal dropping the plastic bag he had been carrying to expertly catch the makeshift weapon before it too slapped him round the face, "Oh for the love of…LISTEN TO ME!!!"

"Gentlemen!" Tessa blinked as Meriden's voice entered the fray, his tone hard and cold as he aimed his newly acquired hand-gun at the duelling pair as the fight dissolved into fisticuffs, "Captain Testarossa has ordered this bickering to come to an end, and you have not heeded that order. I will give you to the count of three, or I will break you up by force! One…"

"Mr. Meriden I really don't think…"

"Two…"

"Mr. Meriden could you at least tell me what you're about to…"

"Three!"

The pistol went off a third time, the weapon tossed in the air before it's bullet had even struck the stunned lieutenant in the centre of his forehead, his amber eyes rolling up into his head as he collapsed off the exhausted Weber.

"Whew, thanks Alex!" Kurz grinned tiredly, "For a moment there…Ugh!" his eyes bugged out as the Corporal slammed the head of the sweeping brush into his abdomen, the sergeant groaning as he curled up around his stomach, "That's…not…cool…man…Ow…"

"But _that__'__s_ how you stop a fight," Meriden smirked as he caught the falling pistol as he swung the broom over his shoulder, "And people said five sisters fighting over one bathroom in the mornings was a _bad_ thing!"

"CORPORAL MERIDEN!!!"

The handgun and brush fell to the ground with a clatter as Alex almost involuntarily snapped to attention, his eyes casting a fearful gaze down the corridor as a certain Executive officer stormed passed his Captain in a rage, a rolled up newspaper in on hand.

"C-C-Commander Mardukas! Sir, I was just…"

"No excuses Corporal!" the elder man waved his paper over Meriden's head threateningly, "I investigate a commotion and I find _this!?_ A direct assault on _two_ superior officers? What do you have to say for yourself? You've been here two days and _already_ you feel the need to take out…"

"But Mr. Mardukas…" Tessa tentatively approached the commander, the officer blinking in surprise as though only just realising his Captain stood behind him, "Mr. Meriden was actually trying to _stop _a fight between Mr. Weber and Mr. Clouseau. They'd been scrapping over…something…and I ordered them to stop, and when they didn't…."

"Ah…I see," The Commander rose an eyebrow slightly, the only sign of any embarrassment, before turning back to Alex, "Corporal, I apologise. It was noble of you to defend the Captain's authority…although I question the manner in which you executed such defence,"

Alex quickly snapped off a sharp, if not late, salute, "Sir! Thank you and duly noted Sir!"

"And as for you two!" Mardukas turned his glare on the two soldiers sprawled out on the ground, Weber groaning as he slowly got to his feet, Clouseau taking the moment to regain consciousness, "Didn't you two hooligans hear the Captain's orders? Clouseau, on you're feet man! Your behaviour is unacceptable for a commissioned officer!"

"Sir…" the tanned man clutched his head as he groggily rose from the floor, "You're…absolutely right…There's no excuse for this…"

"Damn straight there was no excuse for it," Kurz rubbed his stomach as he glared at the Lieutenant, "And Alex, what's up Man? Whose side are you…OW!!!" the Sergeant saw stars as the newspaper smacked him round the back of the head.

"Corporal Meriden is on the Captain's side clearly," The Commander scowled darkly at the three pilots before him, "She gave you a direct order, which neither of you obeyed, and while his methods are not to my liking, I applaud his enthusiasm to reinforce the Captain's authority. Now listen up, all of you! Fighting on the base is simply deplorable! And shameful. Don't you realise that behaving as you just did is an incredible waste of your time and talent? If you can't find a proper use for all that energy, I'll find one for you! Stop throwing your youth away! After all it is a precious time that will never come back again…"

And so it went on…

And on…

And on…

For three whole hours…

For three whole hours Commander Mardukas continued to talk and lecture, going on about the shortness of youth, how not to waste it on arguments and how things were done back in his day.

By the time he began to wind down, the sun was starting to dip below the horizon, and the three soldiers before him looked to be on the verge of collapse.

"…You can go ahead and say I had a boring youth if you want, but as the years went by, all of my efforts were rewarded! It would serve you well to learn from this. Understood?"

No one spoke, no one even moved from their slumped positions until Kurz's legs seemed to give out from under him, the man having fallen into comatose state.

"It appears Sergeant Weber may be taken ill," Mardukas cocked an eyebrow with mild bemusement, "Lieutenant Clouseau, please take him to the medical bay. Consider it a part of your punishment for this travesty. We'll devise a proper punishment for you and Weber at a later date. Corporal Meriden, you're dismissed,"

"Sir," the two men saluted half heartedly, Alex staggering over to a nearby wall to collapse near his bag while Clouseau hooked his arms under the unconscious Kurz's armpits and proceeded to drag him out of sight.

"Honestly," the Commander rubbed the bridge of his nose from underneath his glasses, "Those men are so damn aggravating. I mean Mithril _does_ have a great deal of young talent…but those egos are an absolute detriment," he blinked suddenly as he noticed a certain grey haired girl still stood near his side, "Captain, I didn't expect to still see you here. Are you alright?"

"Yes I'm fine…at least…I am now," Tessa winced as she raised her gaze to meet his, "Mr. Mardukas…about my behaviour last night around the base…" she sighed as he lowered her eyes to the floor, "I really must apologise. My conduct was highly inappropriate for someone who is supposed to be in charge of the fleet. I will never conduct myself in that way again,"

"Ma'am?"

She blinked in surprise as her head snapped up again, her eyes quickly taking in the confusion that filled her Commander's face.

"I'm not sure I understand Ma'am," Mardukas frowned slightly, "However…I don't think that not appearing at a simple security system test would be a reason to call your character into question,"

Now it was the Captain's turn to look confused, "But…weren't you the one who told Commander Kalinin that I wasn't going to be there?"

"Yes, but someone shared that information with _me_ to start with. He said: "I'm sorry but the Captain is exhausted and she's turning in,". So I passed that information on to Commander Kalinin just to be safe. There shouldn't be any worry,"

She stared up at him with wide eyes of disbelief, before turning away, relief and puzzlement setting in at the same time.

"Oh…so _that__'__s _what happened,"

"Captain? Is there some sort of problem?"

"Huh? No! No problem at all! Thanks for asking!" judging by Mardukas' face, he wasn't entirely convinced, "Since there isn't any problem, you're dismissed. Oh! I do need to know one thing…Who told you I wasn't coming to the security system test?"

"It was…" The Commander suddenly seemed to be uncomfortable, his dark eyes moving away from his Captain slightly, "Sergeant Sagara. Come to think of it…Isn't it about time for him to return to Tokyo?"

He didn't get a reply. By the time he'd turned back to her, Tessa had tore off up the corridors towards the Hanger, leaving the bemused Commander alone with Meriden as the former tried to get the blood pumping back to his legs.

* * *

"_That's right! It _was_ Mr. Sagara,"_ Tessa's feet pounded against the tiled floors as her memories came flooding back to her, _"I staggered my way over to the Danaan's mooring spot over by the pier…and he was there…"_ she cringed as she rounded the corner into a elevator, _"And the things I said to him…About him and Chidori…Ugh, I can't even think about it! Then he said he'd walk me to my room, and I said it was this way…and we ended up on the Bridge, and I fell asleep in the Captain's seat," _she doubled over as she lent against the wall of the cab, her breath coming out in heavy pants as she watched the numbers descend, _"That still doesn't explain how I got to be half naked, but that's not important right now…He's going to be leaving soon!" _She ran out the doors before they had even fully opened, _"I have to apologise, I have to thank him and…I have to tell him how I feel!"_

The plane was already starting up as she burst into the hanger, the man she desperately needed to see now halfway up the steps as she slid to a halt.

"MR. SAGARA!!!"

Sousuke looked round in surprise, "Captain? What are you doing here?"

"Um…It looks like I've caused you a bit of trouble lately," her breath came out in heavy pants as she doubled over in front of the plane, "And I just came here to apologise," She took a deep breath as she looked up into his bemused grey eyes, "Mr. Sagara…I'm sorry I…I just need to…to say…"

The last rays of sunlight suddenly poured over the metal deck as the plane rose up to the open air, her hand closing over her chest as she felt her determination rise.

"I'm…I'm in love! Please don't hate me, I beg of you!"

He didn't reply. He didn't even react at all for a few moments. When he finally spoke, his voice was cold and neutral.

"Captain, I'm very sorry…but I do hate it,"

"Huh?"

"You shouldn't tell your subordinates…about your love of alcohol Ma'am!"

"What?!"  
With a roar of it's engines, the plane slowly began to move out of the launch bay, the Captain too stunned to even move as Sousuke continued over the noise.

"Alcohol destroys brain cells. You should refrain from drinking it if you want to remain at your best efficiency. Listen Tessa, I'm giving this advice to you as a friend, you can quit! I'll keep last night's incident a secret, I promise!"

"What!?" her legs suddenly kicked into high gear as she tore after the departing plane, "Please wait! Mr. Sagara I wasn't talking about alcohol!"

"Don't worry I'll see you later," the plane's hatch slowly closed, blocking her sight of her Sergeant, "And I asked a Corporal Alexander Meriden to deliver your stuffed animal to Mao. He seemed to be a trustworthy soldier, so it's in good hands!"

"No, please wait!" she knew it was a futile effort as the hatch slammed closed, "Listen to me, you've got the wrong idea! Gimmie a break, you can't _possibly_ be that dense!"

She could only watch as the aircraft finally lifted off into the darkening skies, the Captain collapsing to her knees, her hat in hand, as she watched it disappear with a pathetic moan.

"Dammit…" she cast her eyes angrily to the floor as the planes engines were quickly lost to the wind, "And after I summoned all of my courage too,"

She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, she wanted to do something, _anything_ to get rid of the horrible embarrassment that had now overtaken any gruesome feeling Kalinin's Borscht had induced several hours before.

But she didn't move, she just sat there, on her knees, her eyes staring miserably at the ground before her. She didn't even shift until she heard someone come up beside her a few minutes later, an all too familiar rustle of a plastic bag a slight comfort in her ear.

"Is he gone?"

She nodded silently.

"Was he the one who found you…?"

Another nod.

"And…did you tell him…?"

Another, albeit slower, nod.

"Ah…" Alex frowned slightly, his free hand flexing slightly as memories of his conversation with Kurz quickly resurfaced, "And his response was…good?"

This time, her head shook from side to side.

"Ah…" a woman scorned. Something he'd seen his fair share of after living with five sisters.

"He's such a dumbass," her voice was angry and frustrated, yet low and sulky, "He is so seriously hopeless…"

"Ah…" no, not a woman scorned, a man too dense to see a confession of love when he saw it.

…

He'd heard about plenty of _those_ from his sisters too.

As such, he came prepared.

"Come on," the Corporal gently gripped the top of her arm and pulled his Captain to her feet, "I can't say I can cheer you up, but I know something that'll make you feel better,"


	5. The Start Of Something Wonderful

Sorry this is so late. It was just one of those things that I kept meaning to do, but other things kept getting in the way.

Anyway, this will be the final chapter for this story. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

**005**

**THE START OF SOMETHING WONDERFUL**

"Um…Mr. Meriden?" Tessa looked around the personal quarters uneasily, "Isn't this…a bit large for someone of your rank?"

The small guest quarters before her certainty didn't seem like something a mere Corporal could achieve, even if he'd paid for the room himself. That said, the quarters were modest at best; divided into a kitchen and living area, with a small bed in one corner, the only other door leading to the en-suite bathroom.

"I suppose it _would_ be kinda weird for a Corporal to be living here rather then bunked up with his ship-mates," Alex laughed embarrassedly as he carefully set down his bag and headed for the kitchen area, "It's all my dad's doing really though. According to him, technically I'm not assigned to the Danaan until she heads out of port. Until then, I'm really a guest of the base. I don't really believe it myself, and neither do the Base staff, but when your father's a General, you don't really have much room to argue, so I guess I'm staying here until we head out tomorrow. So please, sit down and make yourself welcome,"

"Thank you," she felt slightly awkward as she carefully sat down on the simple clean couch, her fingers carefully intertwining with one another as she watched Meriden boil the kettle.

"I'm making some tea Ma'am, would you like any? I think I have some hot chocolate around here somewhere if you would prefer it,"

"No, tea will be fine," she didn't smile, she just turned her gaze to her hands in her lap, not looking up until a cup was placed before her, the smell of warm tea filling her senses as she picked up the mug and stared quietly at the reflection she saw in the murky water, "Thank you,"

"My pleasure Ma'am," The Corporal smiled as he settled on the couch opposite her, settling back against the cushions as he sipped his own tea, "This is a special blend of my mother's. She likes to drink it when she's down, it makes her feel better. With respect, it looked like you could use a cup,"

"I see," she tentatively let the hot water slip down her throat, bad images of her lunch with Kalinin still clear in her mind. Thankfully, her fears were unfounded, "It's delicious, is there vanilla in there?"

"I think so," Alex smirked, "My mom won't tell me the recipe. Said it was something only the women of her family were allowed to know. She sends me a tin of the stuff whenever I ask for one in my letters though, so I'm usually well stocked,"  
"I see…I've seen your profile…" Tessa took another sip, relishing the taste, "You have quite a big family don't you?"

"Yes Ma'am," the corporal set his cup on the table as he reached into a chest pocket, pulling out a small photograph and pushing it towards her, "Five sisters, three older, two younger, and three older brothers. My father and brothers all joined Mithril before me. Seems like it's kinda become a family tradition of it's own,"

Tessa gazed at him with mild amusement, before looking down at the picture before her, her eyebrows hiking up as she took in a certain smiling Corporal in the uniform of some kind of school, five young woman, aged between sixteen and twenty-five, seated around him in a circular fashion, the three oldest standing behind and beside him, while the two youngest sat by his feet, one of which was showing a victory sign towards the camera.

Much to her amusement, all six had the same dirty blond hair and coffee coloured eyes.

"They all look like you,"

"They all look like my mother," Alex chuckled nervously, "My three elder brothers look like my dad though; all black hair and blue eyes. My dad got a nasty shock when my eye colour set,"

She smiled slightly, before going back to her tea.

They sat in silence for a while, two people simply content with each other's company, each lost in their own thoughts and the warmth of their drink and the room they sat in.

It was only when half her cup had been drained did Tessa suddenly find the urge to speak.

"Mr. Meriden…how much do you know about Sousuke Sagara?"

"Sergeant Sagara?" Alex blinked in mild surprise, "Only what I'm supposed too. Aside from his basic profile, I know he resides in Tokyo performing a bodyguard duty to someone important to Mithril, and that I'm supposed to take his place on the occasions when he isn't here or when the Arbalest isn't required. I'm not sure but I believe he is protecting a girl named…Kaname Chidori?" he cocked his head slightly as he watched his Captain wince slightly at the name, "Am I right?"

"You are…correct," Tessa set her cup down, returning her hands to her lap, "I'm surprised you know her name Mr. Meriden, considering you were not aboard when Miss Chidori was with us, nor do you hold the rank to retain intimate knowledge of Mr. Sagara's current mission,"

"I hear things Ma'am. In any situation it is important to gather as much information as possible about your surroundings. I don't…make a habit of looking into my colleagues mission profiles however. I only know Miss Chidori's name from a conversation I had with Sergeant Weber. Aside from her name, I know little else about her. Why do you ask Ma'am?"

"Kaname is…" she bit her lip, not sure how to voice her thoughts, or if should at all, "I suppose you're probably aware of it…even without this morning's events or talking with Mr. Weber but…I have…certain feelings…for Mr. Sagara…"

"I see," Alex picked up his tea once more, staring at his captain intently from across it's rim, "Do you feel it's an…attraction? Love? Or perhaps simple lust?"

"Honestly? Half the time I'm not so sure," she smiled sheepishly as she twisted her hands in her lap, "Most of the time, I'd like to believe I'm in love with him. I feel warm and safe when he's around, I always want to be close to him. Sure he's a little strange, and he even drives _me_ nuts from time to time…but recently…I started to wonder…"

"Wonder what?"

She didn't reply for a moment, as though collecting her thoughts.

"I won't deny my feelings are still strong for him Mr. Meriden, I admitted that myself on the Bridge of the Danaan to Mardukas and a dozen other officers and crew, but when Sousuke was pulled from protection duty for Kaname…I started to wonder about their…relationship.

Even if she won't admit it to herself, I _know_ Kaname has some kind of feelings for Sousuke. Since we met…we've kinda had a small rivalry going on…even though we're friends. But the way Sousuke acted when he returned; the harsh tones, his belittlement of the Intelligence department…he made me cry Mr. Meriden, I won't deny that. The thought made me so mad…so upset…it made me wonder…do I even have a chance?"

"You believe Sergeant Sagara has feelings for Miss Chidori?"

"Yes, absolutely," she said it with such sincerity he found it hard not to believe her, "I had always suspected up 'til that point, and his reaction during that…incident made it even clearer. Even after that meeting after the battle in Hong Kong…when he first called me Tessa…even then I wondered about the futility of it all. I know it's only a matter of time Mr. Meriden…and I don't want to steal Mr. Sagara away from Kaname if it would mean hurting him as well as her…"

"If this is how you feel…why don't you stop pursuing Sergeant Sagara?"

"I…I don't know," she quickly grabbed the cup, if anything to try and dull the burning sensation in her throat, "Maybe I'm just so used to the feelings that well up inside of me when I'm with him, maybe I just love him too much to step out of the way, maybe I believe he's my one true love, and I just have to make him see that," she looked up suddenly, "Do you believe in one true love Mr. Meriden?"

"No, I don't," his words stung, but she eyed the Corporal curiously, "Two people out of the average 6.7 billion human beings on this planet are the only ones perfectly compatible for each other? I'm sorry but I find that hard to believe. I don't want to shatter your dreams Captain, but with respect, I would ask that you consider this: What if you had never met Sergeant Sagara? What if he or you never joined Mithril? Would you still consider him to be your fated person? Worse, what if Sagara had joined an _enemy_ of Mithril? What if the two of you met on the battlefield, weapons at each others' heads? Would you still consider him to be the one you were destined to spend the rest of your life with?"

"Let me ask _you_ a question Mr. Meriden," she was slightly uneasy by the sudden barrage of questions, "What about destiny? What if it was destiny that the two of us met? Me and Sousuke?"

"That's the thing about destiny, I can't give you a direct answer, because I don't have enough information," the Corporal smiled sympathetically, "Besides, if memory serves, you asked me if I believed in one true loves, not if you and Sergeant Sagara were destined to meet. Setting that fact aside however, I can say this. No one on this planet truly knows what guides us in our lives. Is it destiny that you and Sergeant Sagara met? Perhaps. With that same logic however, was it destiny that you and I met this morning in the Danaan's hanger?" he watched her carefully as she flushed scarlet, "Destiny can be fickle Captain; either it tells us what we're supposed to do constantly or it doesn't exist at all, you can't have it both ways. Besides, if you truly believe that destiny is calling you and Sergeant Sagara together, why do you feel threatened by his apparently requited feelings for Miss Kaname Chidori?"

She didn't speak again for a while minute. She just stared at the rim of her cup as she slowly drank down the last of her tea, quietly digesting the Corporal's words.

"If you do not believe in one true love Mr. Meriden…" she looked up at him carefully, "What _do_ you believe in?"

"Me? I believe in connection, and a deep understanding between potential lovers. If you find someone you find to be physically attractive, that's okay. If you find someone with who you share common ground; hobbies, general interests…work even, that's good. But if you find someone you can truly understand; someone you get along with, someone you'd trust with your own life, someone you know inside and out and vice versa…someone you _know_ you could spend the rest of your life with without question, without fear, through thick and thin, sickness and health…if you find that Madam Captain, you are one incredibly lucky person. I don't believe in one true love Ma'am, but I _do_ believe, that with work, time and a little luck…_any _relationship can reach that level,"

"I see," Tessa turned her gaze to the empty cup, "And with that personal opinion Mr. Meriden…do you believe I should leave Mr. Sagara…at least on a romantic level…to Kaname? Do you believe I could achieve that level of a relationship with him…or do you believe I will never get there?"

"Honestly…I couldn't tell you," The Corporal sighed, "I don't know Kaname Chidori, only what I've heard from yourself and Sergeant Weber, that…and I'm not a physiologist. I just…keep an open mind," he paused as he drained his cup, "My father once told me: 'Nothing is impossible. At most, it's improbable,'. If it's true what you're telling me, and both Miss Chidori and Sergeant Sagara have feelings for one another…then your chances at finding happiness with him are slim at best, but sometimes, even a slim chance is a worthwhile one," he smiled slightly, "Although if your reaction to your first attempt to admit your feelings is anything to go by, it would appear you have your work cut out,"

She smiled wryly, "Yes, you're certainly right about _that_ Mr. Meriden," the two smiled at each other for a moment, before she glanced down at her watch in surprise, "It's getting late. I should probably head back to my own quarters,"

"Of course Ma'am, I understand," Alex nodded as he rose, before snapping his fingers, "Oh! Wait a minute! I just remembered!" he rushed over to where the plastic bag lay forgotten by the door, pulling a large fluffy object out and quickly holding it out to the surprised Captain, "I was told by Sergeant Weber that this might possibly belong to you Ma'am…"

She recognised it in an instant; the large ears, short arms, green bowler hat, big brown eyes…

"My stuffed animal!" Alex smiled in mild amusement as the bear was pulled from his grasp, the Captain hugging the stuffed animal with joy, only to catch herself moments later, "I mean," she coughed stiffly as she tucked the animal under one arm, "Thank you for keeping it safe Mr. Meriden, I…appreciate it,"

"No problem at all Madam Captain," the Corporal saluted sharply, the smile still played along his face, "But you are right, it is getting late. I'll walk you back to your quarters,"

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to be a burden," she smiled shyly as he escorted her to the door, "Really Corporal, I don't want to be a problem,"

"Madam Captain, with all due respect," Alex smiled slightly as he opened the door for her, "This is _not_ a problem…

This is an honour,"

* * *

The walk back to Tessa and Mao's shared quarters was a quiet one, broken only by the upbeat humming of a certain Bobby Darin song as her companion walked care-free by her side.

Today had certainty been…interesting. From the…incident this morning with the now cheerful Corporal, to the disgusting lunch she had endured with Kalinin, to the fight in the corridors between Kurz and Clouseau, to her failed attempt to confess to Sousuke and finally ending…with tea with the very man she began the day with.

Yes…today had certainly been…interesting.

She had intended to spend the day with Sousuke. She had even worked overtime to accomplish this objective. In the end however, she had spent at least half the day either running into Corporal Meriden or running away from him.

…

Oddly, it was a trade-off she could live with.

Still, as she gazed up at the humming Corporal, she couldn't help but feel she was missing something…

With a twist of her stomach, she quickly remembered…

"Mr. Meriden?"

Alex's humming stopped as she spoke up, her eyes cast low as they came to a stop outside her room.

"Mr. Meriden…about what happened this morning…" she bit her lip slightly, her feet shifting against the plastic floor tiles, "I…I feel I need to apologise for what happened in the De Danaan's Hanger. You've been very kind, and you've barely mentioned it directly during our meeting this evening, but still…" she looked up at him from under her grey bangs, "I feel I must properly apologise for what happened. I was half asleep and admittedly under influence of alcohol. It wasn't right of me to…" she flushed scarlet at the mere memory, "Well…what I did just wasn't right,"

"Ma'am…"

"No, I _really_ need to apologise Mr. Meriden I really…"

"Ma'am…"

"My conduct was inappropriate, I have no excuse for it," she looked down at her shoes agitatedly, "Even if I was completely drunk, what I did was…"

"Ma'am…"

Her voice suddenly died as she felt his hands fall onto her shoulders, her face heating up as his booted feet stood bare millimetres from her own.

"Why do you keep bringing up this morning Madam Captain?" his voice was calm and quiet, if not a little amused, "What happened, happened, and I don't bear any ill will towards you because of it. You don't need to apologise, because there is nothing that needs to be forgiven,"

"But Mr. Meri…"

"No buts," her eyes widened as she felt one hand move up to the side of her head, his thumb carefully brushing her bangs away from her forehead, "There is nothing to forgive, understand? I don't blame you for what happened, and you mustn't feel guilty for a simple misunderstanding,"

She felt warm and content, standing in this corridor with Alex, his fingers entwined with her hair as his thumb continued to run smoothly across her forehead. If Mardukas or anyone else came round the corner at that particular moment, she was certain they'd both be in trouble. A Captain and a Corporal caught together in such an intimate position _would_ be hard to explain, but despite this risk, right now…

Right now she felt safe.

"So…" Alex pulled the hand away and returned it to her shoulder with a smile, "Nothing to apologise for right?"

Tessa paused for only a moment, before letting her head fall lightly onto his chest, a small smile gracing her lips as she felt his body tense for the barest of moments.

"Nothing to forgive. I understand Mr. Meriden…thank you,"

She felt him relax again as he moved one hand to her upper arm, rubbing it gently.

Yes…she silently prayed Mr. Mardukas and every other cynic on the base was safely tucked up in bed right now.

Despite the feeling of safety she felt right now however, a part of her also felt conflict. This was a man she barely knew, a man with possible ulterior motives…and a Corporal no less. A part of her brain screamed this could be a plan on his part, a scam to get closer to her to help further his own career. A man who this morning had been accused of being perverse.

But still…

She felt content, she felt safe and secure. She felt as though she would have been happy to live in that one moment for the rest of her life.

She felt…she felt like she was standing next to Sousuke.

She frowned at that sudden thought, a part of her afraid of the consequences of such an idea, a thousand questions she didn't want to answer filling her brain…

"Mr. Meriden…"

Then she looked up.

When she looked back on the event, she knew it hadn't been intentional. The two of them had been standing close, and with the Corporal's height being a head above her own, had she not moved at all, he wouldn't have missed his target.

But look up she did…just in time to feel his lips gently touch her own.

For a moment, there was silence, the two stunned soldiers staring wordlessly at each other, their eyes wide.

She wanted to run, a part of her wanted to scream, though more from shock then anger towards the poor corporal.

Instead she stunned herself when she slowly closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, Bonta-kun falling to the floor with a soft thump as she felt his shoulder bearing hand move to her side.

For a moment, the world seemed to hold it's breath. All her fears, all her thoughts, everything seemed to dissolve into a wonderfully warm hazy feeling as she pressed her body against his, relishing the sensations and silently wishing this moment would last for an eternity.

But end it did.

Breaking off abruptly, her eyes fluttered open as the Corporal stepped back slightly, his face flushed red, his eyes staring stonily at his boots.

"Madam Captain I…I'm terribly sorry," to Tessa's amusement, their roles had been reversed, "I didn't mean to…that is to say…I was aiming for your forehead. I-I may have gone too far into brother mode. My conduct was inappropriate and…"

"Corporal,"

"This is insubordination. This is fraternisation, I can't apologise enough…"

"Corporal,"

"I have to turn myself in. I should have just headed for the Brig this morning and saved you the troub…"

"Alex,"

The sound of his name off her lips brought his rambling to an end, his coffee coloured eyes slowly rising to meet her own as she smiled, his own words coming back to her.

"There is nothing to forgive, understand? I don't blame you for what happened, and you mustn't feel guilty for a simple misunderstanding. Look at it this way," she winked, causing the young man to flush an even deeper red, "Now we're even,"

"Yes Ma'am," Alex smiled shakily as he sighed with relief, "Even Steven. I understand completely,"

For a moment silence reined once more, the two soldiers staring quietly at each other, embarrassed smiles gracing their face.

Staring up at him, Tessa bit her lower lip as certain urges threatened to take over, a yearning to press her lips against his again, feel the warmth of his body against hers…

But she restrained herself.

This was a man she barely knew. Consciously throwing herself upon him might not be the best way to continue a working relationship.

But perhaps…with time…

"Well then…" Alex coughed stiffly, if only to break the silence, "I'll take my leave of you Ma'am. It's getting late, and I believe I have a meeting at 0900 tomorrow...with you actually,"

She giggled slightly, a hand coming up to her mouth in attempt to smother it.

"Very well then Mr. Meriden. I'll see you then,"

The young man smiled and snapped off a salute. By the time he was halfway down the corridor, the sounds of slightly off-key singing made it to her ears, a slight smile crossing her lips as she picked up her stuffed animal and headed inside.

"Well, looks like someone's in a good mood," Mao smirked as her friend closed the door behind her, "What happened? Sousuke propose or something?"

"No, that dumbass is too dense to try and do something like that," Tessa giggled at the look of surprise that crossed Melissa's face, "It's okay though…I don't mind,"  
"Don't…mind?" the Sergeant Major stared incredulously as her Captain made her way towards her quarters, "Alright spill, what's got you so upbeat all of a sudden? And don't tell me it's because you got your bear back!"

"Oh it's nothing really," the Captain smiled enigmatically as she slowly closed the door behind her, "Let's just say, I think I might have started…something wonderful,"

**THE END**

* * *

And so ends my big experiment.

So, now that we're at the end, is it possible for me to write a decent Original character without it falling into the realms of Mary/Gary Stu?

In my own personal opinion, Alex is one of my better OCs. I personally feel he's a decent even character, whose reamarkable qualities (specialising in pistols and general melee combat) are on par with many of the characters of FMP's universe. You on the other hand may have different opinions, and I would love to hear any constructive critisium you might have (No Flames though. I do not consider Flaming to be constructive. It just bugs everyone and is completely unessisary).

So, there you have it. Done, dusted, fineto. I might do another story with Alex and Tessa at a later date if I think of a good plot, but right now I've got at least three different stories on my plate (Namly A.V.A.T.A.R.: Hunt for the Courier, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed: Zaft's Archangel and the semi-original Steel Battalion: The PAth Towards Eternity) so I don't know when or if it would come out.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little fic for what it was worth. Special thanks for all those who have reviewed thus far and to any who review it in the future. Thanks a lot to all of you!

See you around,

Dearing


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